Rapper Tekashi69, born Daniel Hernandez, is in custody after facing federal racketeering and firearm charges. The Brooklyn native was denied bail on Monday and is awaiting a second bail hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 20.

"An entertainer who portrays a 'gangster image' to promote his music does not make him a member of an enterprise," Lazzaro said.

"Mr. Hernandez became a victim of this enterprise and later took steps by firing employees and publicly denounced this enterprise through a morning show. Threats were then made against his life which resulted in this case being brought immediately," he added.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Longyear said the rapper did not renounce his membership in the gang on the radio show a couple of weeks ago.

He said 6ix9ine would have been arrested last week anyway, but the timetable sped up when authorities learned that he planned to go to a Connecticut casino where it would be harder to protect him from the threats.

Longyear said the threats were overheard on phone calls intercepted by investigators, including one in which an individual was heard saying that gang members wanted to "super violate him."

The prosecutor noted that violence seemed to surround the entertainer. He said 10 shots were fired into a Beverly Hills, California, home where he was filming a music video weeks ago.